In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip

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In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip
"Pomona Raceway"
Pomona Drag Strip.jpg
Auto Club Raceway, 2008
Location Pomona, California, United States
Time zone UTC−8
Coordinates 34°05′42.32″N117°46′11.15″W / 34.0950889°N 117.7697639°W / 34.0950889; -117.7697639
Capacity40,000
Operator NHRA
Address2780 Fairplex Drive
Opened1951 [1]
Former names
  • Pomona Raceway
  • The Fairplex
  • Ascot at Pomona
  • Los Angeles Dragstrip
  • Auto Club Raceway at Pomona
Major events NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series
Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals
In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals
Drag Strip
SurfaceConcrete
Length0.25 miles (0.402 km)

The Pomona Raceway (currently named the In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, previously named the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona), [2] is a racing facility located in Pomona, California that features a quarter-mile dragstrip. Since its opening in 1961, the dragstrip has hosted the NHRA's Winternationals event – the traditional season opener – and since 2021, the season's last race, the NHRA Finals. These two events have contributed to its becoming perhaps one of the most famous dragstrips in North America. The facility has a seating capacity of 40,000 spectators, and it is one of the few dragstrips in the USA that is operated directly by the NHRA. This dragstrip has also gone by the nickname of The Fairplex, in reference to its location at the Fairplex, formerly called the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds.

Contents

History

Drag Racing

In 1952, a car club known as the "Choppers of Pomona" aided by a young police officer, Sergeant Bud Coons, advocated that a safe place should be provided for local area drag racers. Coons, along with fellow hot rod enthusiast, Pomona Police Chief Ralph Parker, and the city government of Pomona asked to lease the parking lot of the LA County Fairgrounds. Coons and Parker were instrumental in convincing the county to allow the use of the fairgrounds for the race by citing statistics that indicated deaths among kids declined sharply when given a supervised place to race. The county finally agreed, as long as the hot rodders would provide their own insurance, which they were able to do with gate receipts. [3]

At the time the county made the agreement, the parking lot was nothing but a gravel lot. The coalition of hot rodders, police and community leaders raised funds through donations and paved the lot. This was the birth of the dragstrip in Pomona.

Though it was not considered a national event by today's standards, the very first NHRA event, the Southern California Championships, was held at this dragstrip on an April weekend in 1953. On Saturday, attendance was at two or three thousand and attendance was reported to be at 15,000 on Sunday. Compared to the 3.9 second numbers (at 333 yd 1 ft (304.80 m) the pros are putting on the board presently, the best ET of that day was a respectable 10.93. [4]

NHRA Winternationals

In 1961, NHRA held its first ever Winternationals at the Pomona Raceway. It became NHRA's second national event. The first NHRA national event was the U.S. Nationals, which was nicknamed the "Big-Go". Thus, the Winternationals got nicknamed the "Big-Go West". It has remained at this location ever since. For many years, this event was sponsored by Chief Auto Parts and later its successor AutoZone, but later was sponsored by CSK Automotive, and now its current successor, O'Reilly Auto Parts.

2008 saw Top Fuel & Funny Car races be reduced to the present 1000 feet.

From 2021 to present, the race has been held in late March or early April, after the Gainesville round. The 2021 race was later postponed to July-August in order to allow spectators.

NHRA Finals

The season closer, the NHRA Finals, was brought to the facility in 1984 from the now defunct Orange County International Raceway. When the event was first brought to Pomona, the event was sponsored by Winston (after NHRA's main title sponsor at the time, RJ Reynolds' "Winston" cigarette brand). From 2010 to 2019, and again from 2021 to 2022, the event was sponsored by the Automobile Club of Southern California, which is affiliated with AAA. The 2020 event was sponsored by Stellantis and Royal Dutch Shell when it was held at Las Vegas Motor Speedway because Clark County, Nevada allowed spectators when California still banned mass gatherings because of the global pandemic. Beginning in 2023, In-N-Out Burger, a Nashville-based burger chain, will become naming rights sponsor for both the circuit and the NHRA Finals. [5]

Other Racing

From 1934 to 1937 a 12 mile dirt oval was located at the facility. [6] The dirt oval was once again opened in the 1950s but closed in 1959. Pomona was also home to a 1.7 mile paved road course which operated in 1998 and 1999. From 1956 to 1961, a 2-mile temporary road course was located in the parking lot. [7]

Winners

NHRA Winternationals

NHRA Finals

YearVenueTop FuelFunny CarPro Stock
1965TulsaMaynard Rupp
1966TulsaPete Robinson
1967TulsaConnie KalittaDon Nicholson
1968TulsaDon PrudhommeEd Schartman
1969 Lewisville L. GoldsteinDick Harrell
1970LewisvilleRon MartinGene Snow
1971AmarilloGerry GlennP. Castronovo
1972AmarilloJim WaltherL. Fullerton
1973AmarilloJerry RuthFrank Hall
1974 Ontario Don GarlitsDave Condit
1975OntarioDon GarlitsDon Prudhomme
1976OntarioShirley MuldowneyDon Prudhomme
1977OntarioDennis BacaGordie Bonin
1978OntarioRob BruinsRaymond Beadle
1979OntarioDon GarlitsGordie Bonin
1980OntarioShirley MuldowneyRon Colson
1981 East Irvine Gary BeckJim Dunn
1982East IrvineJim BarnardTrip Shumake
1983East IrvineShirley MuldowneyJohn Lombardo
1984PomonaDon GarlitsSherm GunnBob Glidden
1985PomonaGary BeckKenny BernsteinJoe Lepone
1986PomonaDarrell GwynnKenny BernsteinBob Glidden
1987PomonaDarrell GwynnBilly MeyerBob Glidden
1988PomonaDarrell GwynnJohn ForceWarren Johnson
1989PomonaGary OrmsbyBruce LarsonBob Glidden
1990PomonaJoe AmatoEd McCullochBob Glidden
1991PomonaPat AustinAl HofmannDarrell Alderman
1992PomonaCory McClenathanChuck EtchellsWarren Johnson
1993PomonaRance McDanielJim EplerWarren Johnson
1994PomonaKenny BernsteinJohn ForceDarrell Alderman
1995PomonaBlaine JohnsonAl HofmannWarren Johnson
1996PomonaJoe AmatoJohn ForceMike Edwards
1997PomonaJoe AmatoTony PedregonKurt Johnson
1998PomonaKenny BernsteinChuck EtchellsRichie Stevens
1999PomonaMike DunnJerry ToliverJeg Coughlin Jr
2000PomonaGary ScelziJohn ForceKurt Johnson
2001PomonaKenny BernsteinDel WorshamBruce Allen
2002PomonaCory McClenathanJohn ForceKurt Johnson
2003PomonaKenny BernsteinDel WorshamGreg Anderson
2004PomonaTony SchumacherJohn ForceGreg Anderson
2005 PomonaTony SchumacherTony PedregonJeg Coughlin Jr
2006 PomonaTony SchumacherJohn ForceGreg Anderson
2007 PomonaTony SchumacherRobert HightJeg Coughlin Jr
2008 PomonaLarry DixonCruz PedregonGreg Anderson
2009 PomonaAntron BrownMike NeffGreg Anderson
2010 PomonaAntron BrownJohn ForceShane Gray
2011 PomonaDel WorshamMatt HaganGreg Stanfield
2012 PomonaBrandon BernsteinCruz PedregonAllen Johnson
2013 PomonaShawn LangdonMatt HaganRickie Jones
2014 PomonaMorgan LucasMatt HaganErica Enders-Stevens
2015 PomonaShawn LangdonDel WorshamAllen Johnson
2016 PomonaDoug KalittaTommy Johnson Jr.Greg Anderson
2017 PomonaBrittany ForceTommy Johnson Jr.Bo Butner
2018 PomonaSteve TorrenceJ.R. ToddTanner Gray
2019 PomonaDoug KalittaJack BeckmanJeg Coughlin Jr.
2020 Las Vegas Antron BrownMatt HaganErica Enders
2021 PomonaSteve TorrenceBob Tasca IIIGreg Anderson
2022 PomonaAustin ProckCruz PedregonGreg Anderson
2023 PomonaDoug KalittaChad GreenAaron Stanfield
2024PomonaAntron BrownJack BeckmanGreg Anderson

NOTE: The Finals has been held in the Southwest area from 1965 to 1973, the Los Angeles metropolitan area from 1974 to 2019, and again since 2021, and Las Vegas in 2020.

Current Track Records

CategoryE.T.SpeedDriverEventRef
Top Fuel 3.628Clay Millican2018 Winternationals [8]
338.94 mph (545.47 km/h)Brittany Force2022 NHRA Finals
Funny Car 3.804Austin Prock2024 NHRA Finals
341.68 mph (549.88 km/h)Austin Prock2024 NHRA Finals
Pro Stock 6.480Erica Enders2014 NHRA Finals
213.84 mph (344.14 km/h)Drew Skillman2015 NHRA Finals


References

  1. "Na-Motorsports Track Entry". NA Motorsports. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
  2. Festival tickets for In-N-Out's 75th anniversary event sold out, 2023, archived from the original on 17 October 2023, retrieved 20 October 2023
  3. "Need for a safe place to speed: Pomona's hot rod history began with police". Inland Valley Daily Bulletin . Archived from the original on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2008-12-03.
  4. "In-N-Out Burger named title sponsor of In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip and In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals". NHRA.com. NHRA. Retrieved 2022-11-01.
  5. "Na-Motorsports Track Entry". NA Motorsports. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
  6. "Na-Motorsports Track Entry". NA Motorsports. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
  7. Burgess, Phil; Editor, NHRA National Dragster. "Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals Sunday preview". NHRA.{{cite web}}: |last2= has generic name (help)